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the art of escapeUniquely UrbanMadrid’s Hotel Urban bringsthe art of escape into the21st century By Andy JohnsonImages courtesy Derby HotelsHotel Urban is an art aficionado’s dream getaway—each room contains at least one piece of original art.Opened in November 2004, Madrid’sHotel Urban lies on Carrera de SanJerónimo in the heart of the Spanish capital—astone’s throw from the Spanish parliamentbuildings—and sits atop of one of the grandest promenadesin the city. Carrera de San Jerónimo leads downto Plaza de Canovas—a short stroll from the so-calledGolden Triangle formed by three of the world’s mostrenowned art museums: the Museo del Prado, theMuseo Thyssen Bornemisza and the Museo Reina Sofia.The hotel is at the cutting edge of technologyand design, as can be seen from a glance at the beautifullydesigned pieces that populate the interior of the building. From the PhillipeStarck chairs in the oyster and cocktail area to the Glass Bar to the Triade Studiodesignedtransparent chairs and bravura sofas in the rooms themselves, HotelUrban exudes contemporary chic.The hotel houses a private collection of art that includes 19 th century Hindu figures,Papua New Guinean art from the 19 th and 20 th centuries and Chinese portraitsfrom the 17 th and 19 th centuries. A Khmer stone statue—dating from the late 11 th centuryand rescued from the temples at Angkor—and extremely valuable Buddhist worksfrom the 3 rd century B.C. Qin and Han dynasties are also housed here.A collection ofEgyptian artifacts from the Clos Archaelogical Foundation lie displayed behind ebony andglass below ground level and are also distributed throughout the rooms of the hotel.Surrounded by a very heterogeneous group of Madrid buildings, a similarvertical composition was maintained in the Urban building so as to sit at a pointof contemporary reference in the center of the city rather than as a standoutsculptural creation. Architecturally, it’s Neoformalist, inspired by classical orderand—clad in a black Zimbabwe stone amid steel—the building exudes an effortlesslyelegant look that attempts to strike a balance between the monumentalOne of Hotel Urban’s luxurious duplex suites.exterior and the intimate ambiance of the interior design.92 2006 Issue 4